MacBook For Dummies [Paperback]

Mark L. Chambers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0470278161 | ISBN-13: 978-0470278161 | Edition: 2

Got a new MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro? Want the scoop on Mac laptop basics, using Mac OS X Leopard, networking a laptop, or connecting your laptop to wireless devices? There’s no better place to find what you need than MacBook For Dummies, 2^nd Edition!

With your Mac laptop, you can take your movies, music, documents, e-mail, and Internet wherever the action is. MacBook For Dummies, 2^nd Edition provides the lowdown on maintaining and upgrading your MacBook, customizing the Dock and desktop, traveling with a laptop, turning iPhoto into your portable darkroom, and much more. Learn to:

• Locate the battery compartment, iSight camera, ports, and “on” button
• Move your existing files from an older computer
• Use all the cool new features of Mac OS X Leopard
• Work with iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD, and GarageBand, all packaged with your MacBook
• Identify the signs of a well-functioning laptop and check for trouble
• Set up your Mac for multiple users
• Explore the cool options available with a .Mac account and iDisk storage that lets you retrieve your files anywhere
• Manage your digital music, photos, and movies
• Use Bluetooth and get all your wireless devices communicating with each other

And if you’ve been considering switching from a PC to a Mac, MacBook For Dummies, 2^nd Edition guides you through the process and even shows you how to run Windows on your Mac laptop. If there’s a MacBook in your future — or present — this is the book for you!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Have more fun and get more done with your MacBook — here's how to claim your freedom!

Chained to a desktop computer? Not you! You want to take your movies, music, documents, and Internet wherever the action is. This handy guide gets you up and running, and even walks you through Mac OS® X Leopard®, common upgrades, and troubleshooting.

• Fall in love with Leopard — get familiar with the latest Mac operating system and learn to use all its features

• Explore the iLife — learn to use iTunes®, iMovie®, iPhoto®, iDVD®, and GarageBand®, all packaged with your MacBook

• Make the switch from a PC to a Mac — learn how to move your existing files and how you can still run Windows on your MacBook

• Back up your MacBook — discover how to use Time Machine and iDisk storage to keep your files safe

• Be cool with Bluetooth — get your wireless devices communicating with your MacBook

• Maintain your Mac — find out how to keep your laptop updated and running smoothly

Open the book and find:

• Full coverage of all three MacBook models

• How to migrate files from another Mac or PC

• Tips for conserving battery power

• Advice on customizing your preferences for productivity

• Maintenance and troubleshooting solutions for your MacBook

• Steps for networking your Macs

• Secrets for customizing Leopard

• Explanations for managing your digital music, photos, and movies

About the Author

Mark L. Chambers is an author, tech editor, and unabashed Mac fan. He is the author of more than 30 computer books including Mac OS X Leopard All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies and AppleTV For Dummies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (July 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470278161
• ISBN-13: 978-0470278161
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Computers & Technology > Apple > Mac OS X

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not for dummies, February 2, 2011

By 

Cis - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MacBook For Dummies (Paperback)

I really am a computer dummy. I feel in love with Quick Books for Dummies. It was on my low level & I could follow everything in the book. But this book is not nearly that simple. The guy who wrote it simply knows too much & doesn't realize how the real dummies think. He uses a lot of MAC jargon without realizing it. It has hardly helped me at all. I have to keep getting my children & friends to help me.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Macbook for Dummes, March 11, 2010

By 

W. LeBlond (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MacBook For Dummies (Paperback)

Don't buy this book if you are a genuine beginner on the MacBook. It is not an introduction to the MacBook, but rather assumes that you already understand many terms. You cannot open your new MacBook and open MacBook for Dummies and get a step-by-step introduction to your machine and how to use it. I gave up after several frustrating attempts to use it. His snarky writing style doesn't help. It may very well be useful for an advanced Mac user, but it isn't a good book for someone just starting out.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Out of date!, February 12, 2009

By 

RunTurtlesRun - See all my reviews

This review is from: MacBook For Dummies (Paperback)

If your MacBook is a few years old, then this is the perfect book for you. It is clearly written and fun to read. But computers change quickly, and in some important areas this manual hasn't kept up.

I have a black MacBook that I bought new in July 2008; I wanted to upgrade its memory so my video game would run a bit better. I intended to use "Dummies" to guide me through the upgrade process. Well... I had my MacBook opened up and was about to start the RAM-ectomy when I realized that the diagrams in the book didn't look at all like my laptop! The anatomy was simply wrong.

Anyway, thanks to a YouTube clip I managed to figure things out. My "patient" survived and is doing well. ; ) Still... I wish I'd known before I'd paid for this book that it wasn't quite up to date.